This invention relates generally to an improved slack-free coupler device that is adaptable for joining together the adjacent corner fittings of two freight container or military shelters to form one integral freight container or shelter of a larger length to fit container ship cells.
Freight containers are designed to fit standard size transport nests on trucks, cranes and ships, and are fabricated with corner fittings meeting international standards of size and openings in the corner fittings. Some containers are designed of smaller modular size than those of the popular standard sizes, and require coupling together for transport or storage purposes to fit the transport systems of the standard size containers.
The prior art in container couplers is exemplified by the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,726,550; 3,609,824; 3,261,070, 3,052,941 and 2,972,175. U.S. Pat. No. #3,726,550 describes a container coupler designed for a similar purpose by the inventor of this application. While the couplers of the art are sometimes acceptable for their intended purposes, they do not fully meet the need of the user for a coupler of lightness of weight and compactness of stowage and simplicity of use as well as the need of required strength. As a result of the shortcomings of the prior art, typified by the above, there has developed and there continues to exist a substantial need for the product of the character described. Despite this need, and the efforts of many to develop such products, a satisfactory product meeting this need has heretofore been unavailable.